Century old rail bridge damaged as barge collides

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Last Updated: Sun, Jan 13, 2013 04:37 hrs

Rameswaram: A century-old railway bridge near Pamban coast was damaged and rail link to Rameswaram was disrupted as a barge towing a naval ship, which had ran aground, drifted and collided with it today, officials said.

The accident occurred after authorities failed to pull the barge and the ship into deep waters, port officials said.

The new ship bound for Karwar in Karnataka ran aground on January 10 as it was being towed from Kolkata when strong winds swept them (ship and barge) close to the shores near the Pamban bridge connecting the island with mainland.

Railway officials said part of the railway line on the British era bridge was damaged, forcing them to terminate trains from Chennai and other places to Rameshwaram at Mandapam, 15 km from here.

The damage to the railway line was being assessed and it would take "some time" before it was repaired, they said.